Being situated so close to the equator and the warm Indian ocean, the city experiences generally tropical climatic conditions, typified by hot and humid weather throughout much of the year. Dar es Salaam features a tropical wet and dry climate, with two different rainy seasons. Annual rainfall is approximately 1,100 mm (43 in) and in a normal year there are two distinct rainy seasons: "the long rains", which fall during April and May, and "the short rains", which fall during October and November.
On December 20, 2011, the heaviest rains in 57 years resulted in unprecedented flooding that devastated many areas of the city. As of December 23, the flooding had caused 13 casualties and left nearly 5,000 people homeless
